• Board Meeting, January 28, 2002
  Board Meeting, April 10, 2002
  Board Meeting, May 2, 2002

• MapleFest, May 27, Stewart Park, Perth:  Our first booth in MapleFest was a great sucess - in the exposure, the interest, the support received, and even the memberships sold.

• EcoFest, June 22, on the Tay River property of Wendy Laut and Don Hanam, 3 km west of Perth:  FoTW again participated in the organization of this event, with ecoPerth, Safe Communities Partnership, and Perth Community Association, and also provided the financial management.  Although attendance was not large, those who came - young and old - were enthusiastic in their support, and the events were both a lot of fun and educational.  The FoTW table at EcoFest, in cooperation with the Tay River Legal Defense Fund, also received good support and interest.  Any proceeds from EcoFest will go towards providing maps and information on the Tay Watershed to the 11 schools in our watershed, under the guidance of Carol Dillon.

• Release of the Tay River Watershed Management Plan, May, 2002:  FoTW contributed to the final version of this Plan and is developing activities to follow up its recommendations.  Copies of the Plan are available on the RVCA website, www.rideauvalley.on.ca under What's New, and also on request from the FoTW (264-0094).

• Contact with Municipalities, May/June, 2002:  In cooperation with the Respondents of the OMYA Water-Taking Appeal, the FoTW made presentations and related support to several municipalities.

• Perth River Edge Project, May 6, Tay River beside Senior Citizens home on Harvey St.:  FoTW cooperated with Marilyn Devolin in developing a planting day with PDCI students.  It is hoped that this will become part of a larger project to address problems of water quality in the Perth area of the Tay River.

• Tay Valley (BBS) Township Open-House, July 20:  The FoTW table at this open-house proved to be an excellent opportunity to meet the Township public and promote our various activities.

• Greater Bobs and Crow Lakes Association AGM, July 28:  At the Association's invitation, FoTW set up a table in cooperation with the Tay River Legal Defense Fund.  This was a great opportunity to meet the upper watershed and discuss our programs - and fits the priority the FoTW is placing on cooperating with the various associations throughout the watershed.

• Note regarding Perth Fair, August 30:  This is the first year since 1997 that we will not have a booth.  It has been worthwhile for providing information on the development of the Tay Watershed Management Plan, but the work involved outweights the benefits of ongoing participation.

• Water Quality Monitoring Project:  Cathy Hamlen and Orion Clark met with Sarah Rosolen, Erika Kiss and Mark Sunohara at the Centre for Sustainable Watersheds (Portland, 272-5136) to discuss their Storm Water Study and get some ideas for funding a Perth area water quality monitoring program.  The Perth project will be revised so that it specifies a limited number of contaminants for testing and locations for sampling.  The project is a priority for FoTW and efforts to obtain funding will continue.

• Discovery Centre:  Cam MacLeod has been working with the Town of Perth, developing this concept and seeking funding (see article below).

• Thanks to Cathy Hamlen, our website has been substantially rebuilt, updated, and expanded.  Thank you, Cathy.

• Thanks to Jan Forsythe of Balderson, who has offered to contribute her accounting services to the FoTW - this is a great help and something that will become increasingly important as FoTW grow.

Recent Water Levels and Flow in the Tay River and Bobs and Crow Lakes by Joe Slater    The recent major fluctuations in water levels in the Tay River Watershed have had people asking for more information on the significance and impact.  The following is a summary of an article on this by Joe Slater, a Director of FoTW and a retired water resources engineer.    The unique feature of this year's high water in the Tay River and Bobs/Crow Lakes is that it has occurred as a result of well above normal rainfall in June following a high Spring freshet.  In fact, following the Spring maximum, which occurred on April 16, Bobs Lake was in recession until almost mid-June when it began to rise to its new maximum for the year.  The high water throughout our region resulted in the Rideau Canal Office closing the Canal system for several days, including the scheduled opening day.    What is the historic significance of this year's high water?  The level of Bobs Lake has reached or exceeded an elevation of 163.00 m only about 9 times in the past century.  This year's high water level of 163.05 m, reached on June 20, is the highest since 1980 when it reached 163.00 m.  The record high water level occurred in 1943 when the lake reached 163.07 m.  Other years when the levels exceeded 163.00m include 1969, 1951 and 1947.  There is a possibility this level was also exceeded in 1916, 1909 and 1908, but the datum for these early records have to be verified as the dam at Bolingbroke was completely rebuilt in 1915 and had a new sill installed in 1933.    Bobs Lake entered last winter with a water level of 161.58 m, which was 0.20 m over average, due to heavy rains in late October and early November.  As December and January were very warm, there was very little frost and snow.  The ice cover on both Bobs and Crow Lakes did not completely form until January 19.  Ice thickness ranged from 5 to 15 cm, providing very weak ice, and few people were on the ice this past winter.  Ice cover left the lakes on April 11.    Between February and April this year, under the chair of Parks Canada-Rideau Canal Office, the regional water authorities met periodically to assess precipitation and related data and to plan spring management actions for the control of water levels and flow in the Rideau Canal system.  These authorities include Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, Ministry of Natural Resources, CRCA, City of Ottawa, and the Granite Power Corporation.  The February and early March meetings were dominated by talk of little runoff and possibly another summer of low water.  However, in the 3rd week of March there was a series of large snowfalls, which quickly melted and caused the lakes to rapidly refill to above the rule curve target of 162.70 m, reaching a maximum of 162.89 m on April 17.    The discharge from Bobs Lake, which is controlled by Parks Canada at Bolingbroke Dam, was kept low through March, but increased quickly during early April.  The objective was to hold the flow above 10 cubic metres per second (cms) until the lake level receded to its normal summer level (162.70 m), which was expected in late April.  This, coupled with very high downstream tributary flows, resulted in high water levels in Christie Lake and all of the lower Tay River to Port Elmsley.  Flooding below Bolingbroke can occur whenever the flows in the Tay River exceed 11.8 cms.  This is the level at which the river begins to be impeded through the lowest of the downstream bridge openings.    Bobs Lake continued to drop during early May and held more or less constant until the heavy rains began on June 13th (50 mm) and June 14th (100 mm).  At this time, the large inflows from upstream lakes, in particular Fish and Eagle Creeks and Crow Lake, raised the lake level to 163.05 m.  The large outflow at Bolingbroke Dam, 17.7 cms, eventually raised Christie Lake to a level of 155.41 m, about 1.01 m above target, normal summer levels.    Although Ottawa rain data does not apply directly to this region, it is interesting to note that 224.8 mm fell there in June, compared to the normal of 76.9 mm. Return to top of page

Update on OMYA:  Tay River Water Taking Appeal by Carol Dillon    On February 19, 2002, the Environmental Review Tribunal issued its decision regarding the request by OMYA (Canada) for a permit to withdraw a substantial quantity of water from the Tay River.  This decision, which came after a 2 year review process, was a reasonable compromise between the needs of an expanding industry and the concerns of citizens for the water resources of the Tay River Watershed.    The decision allows the company to take twice as much water as its current groundwater permits allow, to switch from groundwater to better quality surface water, and to build a pumping station/pipeline on the Tay River.  For citizens, the decision allows less than the 4,500 cubic metres (approximately 1 million gallons) per day OMYA requested, shortens the permit term from 10 to 6 years, and includes important rights for local communities to be informed and consulted about the management of local water.  The decision takes a precautionary approach to matters of water which will benefit the Tay River Watershed now and other communities throughout Ontario in the future.    However, in March 2002, OMYA appealed the decision to the Minister of the Environment on points of fact, and to the Divisional Court on points of law.  The original appellants have responded to the appeals and are now working on that process.  The Canadian Environmental Law Association has agreed to provide legal counsel for the respondents.  At this time, it is not known when the appeals will be heard.    Because these appeals will entail substantial costs, a fund has been established - the Tay River Legal Defence Fund - to help with these costs.  Donations may be sent to the Tay River Legal Defence Fund at 83 Cockburn St., Perth, ON, K7H 2B7. Return to top of page Discovery Centre by Cam MacLeod    A priority action of the Tay Watershed Management Plan's 3-year work plan is the establishment of a "Tay Watershed Discovery Centre".    The Discovery Centre would have a 2 fold objective:  1. a Communications and information system with electronic data base and communications and 2. a heritage Tay Watershed Interpretive Centre in the Tay Basin in the heart of Perth.    The Interpretative Centre would provide information on the Tay River Watershed, its history, its fauna and flora, lakes and rivers, the Tay Canal, and also information on camping, canoeing, hiking, fishing, sailing, and swimming and related local services and businesses.  The data base files would include water quality and biodiversity data, forestry and agricultural information, maps, and also locations of important endangered species, invasive species, ANSIs (Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest), Provincially Significant Wetlands and ESAs (Environmentally Sensitive Areas).    The Town of Perth has made application for a grant from the Ontario Small Town and Rural Development (OSTAR) initiative for development of the Perth Market and Community Square Project in the Tay Basin.  A heritage log house is being sought as an interpretative centre, for moving to the Basin site beside the Little Tay River across from the Perth Library.    Any organizations or individuals interested in supporting, organizing or otherwise helping with the Discovery Centre are invited to contact members of the FoTW, Cam MacLeod (264-9925) or Orion Clark (267-4939). Return to top of page The Nutrient Management Act (Bill 81) by Orion Clark    This recent Provincial Act will provide for the development of standards for the control of all land-applied materials that contain nutrients (i.e. manure, commercial fertilizers, bio-solids).  The objective is to have all such land-applied materials managed according to a Nutrient Management Plan, and Municipalities will have the Act as support for their land use planning and for building code approvals.    The standards will be phased in, depending on the type of operation and its size (or the risk to the environment).  Local advisory committees will be required to promote awareness of the new rules and mediate local nutrient management issues that are not related to enforcement.    The government, through the Environmental Protection Act, is committed to banning the land application of untreated septage over a 5 year period.    Bill 81 can be viewed at www.gov.on.ca/omafra. Return to top of page

Dams in the Town of Perth

   The dilapidated Haggart and Rainbow Bridge dams upstream from Stewart Park in Perth were the subject of a well-attended public information meeting on July 30th at the Perth Legion Hall.  The meeting was called and led by the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, the agency responsible for maintenance and operation of the dams.
   RVCA's purpose in calling the meeting was to inform the local community about the present condition of the structures, their water management functions, the planning and design process that would apply to any reconstruction or rehabilitation project, and the options (in very broad terms) that might be considered if such a project was initiated.
   Presentations were made by RVCA staff members, Bruce Reid and Patrick Larson.  Jack Walker, a long time resident and former worker on the dams, also provided useful information.  A copy of the RVCA presentation will be place on the RVCA website, www.rideauvalley.on.ca.
   The RVCA's primary message was that the initiation of a project to deal with the dams' condition (starting with a feasibility study) will depend on the degree of local community interest.  It is unlikely that it could be funded entirely out of the RVCA General Levy since there is a lack of funds and the limited role that the structures play in the whole watershed.  At this time, the options range from demolition to total restoration.
   Local residents, members of Council and members of community organizations gave useful information and comments.  Many views were expressed on the future role of the dams and their potential benefit to the community (including aesthetics, tourism, heritage, control of water levels upstream and in Perth, and the supply of hydro power.  The purpose of the current Haggart Island dams constructed in 1970 was the control of water levels and flow through Stewart Park and central Perth.  Some people feel that the current design could have done more to fill this need.
   One resident said that this spring was the first time that he has seen migrating fish trying to jump over the Rainbow Bridge dam, which has now lost some of its upper logs.
   As one local resident pointed out, this is an issue that impacts all of Perth.  It is unfortunate that the meeting did not receive wider publicity.  Specific invitations were addressed only to adjacent landowners, and a newspaper ad was published the week before.  It is also of considerable interest to community organizations, including FoTW, and to local businesses.  We hope, along with the RVCA, that this meeting will be a catalyst within the community and an opportunity for increasing the economic, social and environmental benefits from the Tay River.

Return to top of page